Measurement of Manmade Electromagnetic Radiations from a 200-Mile Orbit

The study determined the feasibility of measuring electromagnetic radiations over the 0.1 to 15 GHz frequency range from a orbiting spacecraft. The primary objective was to define an experiment for an Apollo mission, although an unmanned space vehicle experiment is also considered. The study concludes that such an experiment is feasible and suggests an evolutionary series of experiments. Significant objectives of the first experiment are: (1) to measure RF as a function of earth location with -100 dbm receiver sensitivity, (2) enhance the over-all experiment with the astronaut by making decisions and performing real-time analysis of the experiment and of intentionally varied signals, (3) the experiment can be integrated into a mission depending on the spacecraft and other experiments, (4) extensive coverage of populated areas by orbit inclinations of 28 to 90 degrees, and (5) process and display of accumulated data by computers to the extent required by different users. The resulting data may find use in frequency allocation, equipment specifications, operational procedures, and interference maps that will be useful in site selection.